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Note: This is a student project from a course affiliated
with the Ethnography of the University Initiative. EUI supports faculty development of courses
in which students conduct original research on their university, and encourages students to
think about colleges and universities in relation to their communities and within larger
national and global contexts.

Description

This project investigates the perceived fairness of grading procedures by students and faculty at the U of I. On the basis of surveys, interviews, and literature research, the study finds that 61% of students felt that they had received an “unfair” grade during academic career here at the University and that 51% of students believe that their grades are an accurate representation of their abilities. There is a larger than expected fraction of satisfied students, which serves as a testament to the efforts of the University to use effective and fair procedures. Furthermore, many students accept that the system is not perfect and problems are bound to occur. Nevertheless, there remains a significant portion of students who remain unsatisfied. In a majority of instances dissatisfaction is directly related to some form of miscommunication on either the student or instructor’s behalf. The authors argue that it is the responsibility of the instructors and department heads to thoroughly communicate the goals of each course and also consistent means of judging coursework. Conversely, the diligent student has the responsibility to question the instructor until the goals and grading methods are clearly understood.

This item appears in the following Collection(s)

Student LearningThis collection examines student learning both in and beyond the classroom.

Student Communities and CultureThe university offers an extraordinary opportunity to study and document student communities, life, and culture. This collection includes research on the activities, clubs, and durable social networks that comprise sometimes the greater portion of the university experience for students.